Cyprus recorded one of the European Union’s largest increases in average age over the past decade, with officials warning the country is “completely unprepared” for the social and healthcare challenges that lie ahead.
Official data shows the percentage of children under 15 years old dropped to 15.3% of the population in 2023, compared to 22.3% in 2000, while the proportion of people aged 65 and over rose to 17.7% from 11.3% during the same period.
“If we don’t take timely measures, within a decade at most we’ll be chasing after the many problems that will arise,” said Constantinos Fellas, chairman of the National Bioethics Committee, in an interview with Phileleftheros.
The country already faces significant gaps in eldercare infrastructure, including a lack of post-hospital care facilities and inadequate home healthcare services for those with mobility issues.
Among the most pressing challenges is the growing number of elderly drivers, the first large generation in Cyprus to hold driving licences en masse, raising questions about road safety, insurance costs, and mobility rights.
“Age cannot and should not be the only criterion for increasing insurance premiums or requiring someone to stop driving,” Fellas said, noting that horizontal measures are “almost never correct and effective.”
Insurance companies have reportedly rejected elderly applicants based solely on age, prompting calls for individualised assessments instead of blanket policies that can lead to social isolation.
The bioethics chairman highlighted research linking age discrimination to cardiovascular episodes, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health conditions, and depression, noting that Cyprus already shows high rates of loneliness and depression according to EU statistics.
Elder abuse represents another significant concern, with the World Health Organisation estimating that one in six people over 60 suffers from abuse, yet only 4% of cases are recorded.
“We have no effective and systematic data collection in Cyprus, so we don’t have a complete picture,” Fellas said, adding that unlike provisions for children and women, Cyprus lacks dedicated facilities to accommodate abused elderly individuals.
Officials are calling for serious policy decisions that address the needs of an ageing population before the demographic shift advances further, including better public transportation options and social activity programmes.
“Let’s not wait until we ourselves reach 70 to understand,” Fellas said.
Read more:
